Apparatus and Method for Grading and Batching of Articles

Abstract

An apparatus for grading and batching of articles is proposed. The apparatus consists of an in-feed station for grading of the articles into multiple “quality classes”. The articles of each of the classes are weighted by one of multiple weighing means provided. The ability to attach multiple electronic tags or labels to each of the articles makes it possible to keep track of each of the articles and allocate them according to class and weight tags into the correct batching buffer. A vertically oriented carousel conveyor transfers the articles from the weighing means using plurality of transport buckets which are suspended from the carousel support means using pivoting mechanism such that the transport buckets maintain substantially the same position as they are transported by the carousel to batching buffers located inside the carousel. When there is a complete batch in the batching buffer the batch is transported to a collection buffer via batch transport buffer formed by a group of adjacent transport buckets on the carousel conveyor as they travel towards the in-feed station. Thus the transport buckets are used twice: First, to transport individual articles to the batching buffers and the second time, to transport an entire batch to the collecting buffer. A computer system is used to control: the conveying means, the transport buckets, the batching buffer, the batch transfer buffer, the collecting buffer, and to keep track of the different electronic tags.

1 . An apparatus for grading and batching of articles, said apparatus comprising:
 an in-feed station,   one or more weighing means,   means for attaching electronic tags to said articles,   vertically oriented carousel conveyor, said conveyor further comprising:
 plurality of transport buckets, 
   one or more batch buffers, said batch buffers, each, further comprising:
 one or more batching buckets, 
   one or more batch transfer buffers,   one or more collecting buffers,   one or more packing stations,   computing system,   
     wherein said computing system is adapted to keep track of all electronic tags attached to each article. 
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an electronic quality tag is attached to said articles by manually operated device as said articles depart from said in-feed station. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an electronic quality tag is attached to said articles by automatically operated device as said articles depart from said in-feed station. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein diverting means divert the article to a weighing means associated with the electronic quality tag assigned to the article. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operator diverts the article to a weighing means associated with the electronic quality tag assigned to the article. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said weighing means is comprised of:
 a hopper, and   an electronic scale.   
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein weight tag is attached to each article weighed by said weighing means. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said carousel conveyor comprises:
 a base member,   one or more sprockets, wherein said sprockets are fastened to said base member,   an endless supporting means, said supporting means mounted on said four sprockets,   drive means acting on one of said sprockets, and   plurality of said transport buckets,   
     wherein said transport buckets are suspended from said support means on a pivoting means such that said transport buckets maintain substantially same position as they are transported by the carousel. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said carousel conveyor comprises:
 a base member,   two sprockets, wherein said two sprockets are fastened to said base member, the sprocket being the left most sprocket, the right most sprocket   an endless supporting means, said supporting means mounted on said four sprockets,   drive means acting on one of said sprockets, and   plurality of said transport buckets,   
     wherein said transport buckets are suspended from said support means on a pivoting means such that said transport buckets maintain substantially same position as they are transported by the carousel, through the upper horizontal segment from sprocket to sprocket, and through the lower horizontal segment from sprocket to sprocket. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said carousel conveyor comprises:
 a base member,   four sprockets, wherein said four sprockets are fastened to said base member in rectangular fashion, being the top-left sprocket, the top-right sprocket, the bottom-right sprocket and the bottom-left sprocket,   an endless supporting means, said supporting means mounted on said four sprockets,   drive means acting on one of said sprockets, and   plurality of said transport buckets,   
     wherein said transport buckets are suspended from said support means on a pivoting means such that said transport buckets maintain substantially same position as they are transported by the carousel, through the upper horizontal segment from sprocket to sprocket, through the first vertical segment from sprocket to sprocket, through the lower horizontal segment from sprocket to sprocket, and through the second vertical segment from sprocket to sprocket. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of batch buffers, each, comprise:
 one or more batching buckets,   
     wherein batching buffer of three batching buckets provides for continuous use of said batching buffer. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said one or more batch transfer buffers comprise the reuse of one ore more of said transport buckets as they travel said lower horizontal segment towards said in-feed station. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said computing system comprises:
 central processing unit,   random access memory,   non-volatile memory storage,   input modules,   output modules,   program code, encoding computer executable instructions,   
     wherein said computing system receives input signals from said input modules and executes the instructions encoded in said program code according to said input signals and preset values set by the operator. 
   
   
       14 . A method for grading and batching of articles, said method comprising steps of:
 grading the articles in the in-feed station into multiple “quality classes”,   automatically or manually attaching “electronic quality tag” to each article,   weighing of each article in one of the weighing means,   attaching “electronic weight tag” to each article,   transporting the graded and weighted articles in transport buckets using vertically oriented carousel conveyor,   releasing the articles from the transport buckets into the batching buffer associated with the “quality tag” attached to the item(s) in the transport bucket,   releasing the articles from the top most batching bucket into the middle batching bucket when the top most batching bucket has received ½ batch, and   further releasing the ½ batch from the middle batching bucket into the bottom most batching bucket as soon as it becomes available for batching, and then   releasing the second ½ batch of articles from the top most batching bucket into the middle batching bucket,   releasing the entire batch from the middle and bottom most batching bucket into the batch transfer buffer which is composed of one or more transport buckets,   releasing the entire batch from the batch transfer buffer into one of the collecting buffer,   releasing the batch into a packing container at one or more packing stations.